Combination shear and press brake machine

ABSTRACT

A COMBINATION METAL SHEAR AND PRESS BRAKE MACHINE HAVING A BASE, AN UPPER BEAM AND A CENTER BEAM. THE BEAMS ARE RELATIVELY MOVABLE VERTICALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE BASE AND TO EACH OTHER. THE MACHINE IS ARRANGED SO THAT WHEN THE MACHINE IS TO BE USED AS A PRESS BRAKE, THE UPPER BEAM MAY BE HYDRAULICALLY DRIVEN UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY TO BEND METAL BETWEEN DIES CARRIED BY THE LOWER EDGE OF THE MOVABLE UPPER BEAM AND BY THE UPPER EDGE OF THE CENTER BEAM. WHEN THE MACHINE IS TO BE USED AS A SHEAR, THE UPPER AND CENTER BEAMS ARE SECURED TOGETHER TO OPERATE AS A SINGLE MOVABLE MEMBER AND ARE HYDRAULICALLY DRIVEN UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY TO CUT METAL BETWEEN CUTTING BLADES CARRIED BY THE LOWER EDGE OF THE CENTER BEAM AND BY THE UPPER EDGE OF THE BASE.

Nov. 2, 1971 L. L. BARTHEL COMBINATION SHEAR AND PRESS BRAKE MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2, 1969 NW Wm m m WY 9 N INVENTOR.

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Nov. 2,' 1971 L. L. BARTHEL 3,616,525

COMBINATION SHEAR AND PRESS BRAKE MACHINE Filed Oct. 2, 1969 2 Sheets-$heat 2 to is so \I\ INVENTOR. $1.0m) 1.. BAETHEL qwww United States Patent O "ice 3,616,525 COMBINATION SHEAR AND PRESS BRAKE MACHINE Lloyd L. Barthel, Elk River, Minn., assignor to Elk River Machine Company, Elk River, Minn. Filed Oct. 2, 1969, Ser. No. 863,118 Int. Cl. B23p 23/00 U.S. Cl. 29-560 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combination metal shear and press brake machine having a base, an upper beam and a center beam. The beams'are relatively movable vertically with respect to the base and to each other. The machine is arranged so that when the machine is to be used as a press brake, the upper beam may be hydraulically driven upwardly and downwardly to bend metal between dies carried by the lower edge of the movable upper beam and by the upper edge of the center beam. When the machine is to be used as a shear, the upper and center beams are secured together to operate as a single movable member and are hydraulically driven upwardly and downwardly to cut metal between cutting blades carried by the lower edge of the center beam and by the upper edge of the base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved metal working machine which is capable of functioning as a metal shear or as a press brake, and more specifically, to an improved metal working machine which can be converted from a metal shear to a press brake and vice versa with a minimum of time and effort.

Metal shearing machines and metal press brake machines are utilized in most industrial metal working shops, and particularly in the so-called job shops, as metal shearing and metal bending are frequently required in metal working operations. Therefore, even though these machines are, by the nature of the job they perform, quite bulky and require a relatively large amount of space, it has heretofore been frequently necessary for even the smaller job shops to buy and locate both a shearing machine and a press brake machine. Moreover, if both metal shearing and metal bending operations are to be performed on a piece of metal being worked, it has usually been necessary to transport the piece of metal from one machine to the other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In contrast with the prior machines, the improved metal working machine of the present invention combines the metal shearing and press brake functions in the single machine. More specifically, the improved machine of the present invention comprises a base adapted to be mounted on a floor and vertical side frame members having associated adjustable guides. A movable upper beam extends between the guides and has an upper die attached to the lower edge thereof. A movable center beam also extends between the guides and has a lower die attached to the upper edge thereof and located to receive the upper die on the upper beam and a cutting blade attached to the lower edge thereof. A fixed cutting blade is attached to the base and is located so as to be in shearing cooperation with the cutting blade attached to the center beam.

A conventional hydraulic ram is used to raise and lower the upper beam. The upper and center beams are secured together by a connecting means so as to be movable as a unit when the machine functions as a shear, and the upper beam is moved independently of the center beam when the machine functions as a press brake. The metal hold- 3,515,525 Patented Nov. 2,, 1971 down means used with the shear portion of the machine also is used to support the center beam when the machine functions as a press brake.

In the operation of the improved machine and when bending operations are to be performed, the center beam is not moved, as it is not secured to the movable upper beam and is supported by the base of the machine through the metal hold-down means. The metal to be bent is placed between the dies attached to the lower edge of the upper beam and the upper edge of the center beam. The hydraulic power unit is activated, the upper beam moves downwardly, and the metal is bent. When shearing operations are to be performed, the connecting means are used to quickly and with a minimum of effort secure the center beam to the movable upper beam. The metal to be cut is positioned between a cutting blade attached to the lower edge of the center beam and a cutting blade attached to the upper edge of the support and held against the support by the hydraulically operated metal hold-down member. The hydraulic power unit is activated, the upper and center beams move downwardly, and the metal is cut.

The improved machine of the present invention is particularly suitable and advantageous for use in a small job shop where considerations of expense, space and manpower are of primary importance. It may, however, of course, be advantageously used in any industrial situation where metal shearing or bending operations are frequently performed on the same piece of metal.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved metal working machine which is capable of being selectively utilized as a metal shear or as a metal press brake.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine of the type described wherein the machine comprises a base, an upper beam, and a center beam, with the beams being movable with respect to the base and to each other; wherein when the machine is to be used as a shear, the upper and center beams are secured together so that they move as a unit and the metal is cut by and between the cutting blades mounted on the lower edge of the center beam and the upper edge of the base; and wherein when the machine is to be used as a press brake, the upper beam alone moves, and the center beam is supported on the base so that the metal to be bent is bent by and between the dies attached to the lower edge of the upper beam and the upper edge of the center beam.

A related object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine of the type described wherein the member utilized to hold down the metal to be cut during metal shearing operations is positioned between the center beam and the base during metal bending operations so as to provide support for the center beam.

These and other features and objects of the present invention will be apparent from a consideration of the accompanying specification, drawings and claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical view of an improved metal working machine embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical end view of the improved metal working machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the improved machine while it is functioning as a press brake.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the improved machine while it is functioning as a shear.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the improved metal working machine of the present invention includes a base 11 which is composed of an elongated ridge blade support beam 12, supported by vertical side frame members 25 and 26 and laterally balanced by triangular frame members 13 and 14. Secured to the top of the support beam 12 is an elongated, horizontally extending reinforcing cross beam and metal working table 15. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the table 15 is composed of horizontally extended, mutually parallel upper and lower beams 16 and 17 joined by vertical forward and rear beams 18 and 19. A plurality of suitably spaced triangular reinforcing webs 21 extend between the support beam 12 and the lower beam 17. A fived, horizontally elongated lower cutting or shearing blade 22 is secured by means of suitably spaced bolts, one of which is shown at 23, to the. rear beam 19. The upper beam 16 is removable so that access may be gained to the bolts 23 in order to make any necessary adjustments to the fixed cutting blade 22. The base 11 provides a rigid reinforced support for the fixed cutting blade 22.

Vertical side frame members 25 and 26 extend upwardly from the base 11. Two vertical, mutually parallel, laterally spaced, cross beams 27 and 28 are fixedly secured, preferably by welding, at their opposite ends to the top of the side frame members 25 and 26 and are positioned to the front and back of the machine.

A pair of identical, generally triangular arms 31 and 32 each have first, second and third pivotal connecting members thereon, designated by 33, 34 and 35, respectively, on arm 31 and 36, 37 and 38, respectively, on arm 32. Each of the pivotal members are spaced apart from the other pivotal members on the arm and are located adjacent to one of the corners of the arm. The arms 31 and 32 are pivotally mounted between the forward and rear cross beams 27 and 28 by the first pivotal connecting members 33 and 36. The arms 31 and 32 are adapted for pivotal motion in a plane parallel to the cross beams 27 and 28.

A movable upper beam 39 is positioned between and is adapted for relative vertical movement with respect to the vertical side frame members 25 and 26. Connecting links 41 and 42 are pivotally connected at the upper ends thereof to the second pivotal members 34 and 37 of the arms 31 and 32 and are pivotally connected to the movable upper beam 39 at spaced points 43 and 44.

An adjustable strut 45 extends between the third designated pivotal members and 38 of arms 31 and 32, and interconnects the arms 31 and 32 so that the arms move together. The adjustable strut is comprised of a rigid threaded shaft 46 pivotally connected to the third pivotal connecting member 35 on arm 31 and threadedly engaged with the interior of a rigid bar 47 extending and pivotally attached to the third pivotal connecting point 38 on arm 32. A nut 48 is threadedly engaged with the threaded bar 46 and welded to the receiving bar 47 as means to adjust the length of the adjustable strut 45 and maintain it at that length. Increasing and decreasing the length of the adjustable strut levels, cants or tilts the movable beam 39 for purposes discussed in detail below.

A conventional hydraulic ram 49 is pivotally mounted at one end thereof to the horizontal cross beams 27 and 28 by a suitable mounting platform (not shown). The other end of the ram is pivotally connected to the third pivotal member 38 on arm 32 at a suitable angle for pivoting the arms 31 and 32 upon extension and retraction of the hydraulic ram 49.

A conventional hydraulic pump, shown schematically at 51, is operatively connected to opposite ends 52. and 53 of the hydraulic ram through suitable tubing 54 and 55 in a conventional manner whereby pressurized hydraulic fluid may be applied to the ram 49 for either extending or retracting the ram. As the ram retracts and extends, the arms 31 and 32 swing in a circular are about the members 33 and 36, and this pivotal movement of the arms causes corresponding vertical movement of the upper beam 39.

Extending horizontally along the lower edge of the movable upper beam 39 is a horizontallv elongated upper 4 die 56, secured to the upper beam by means of suitably spaced screws 57.

Below and cooperatively aligned with said movable upper beam 39 is a horizontally elongated movable center beam 58 which includes a rigid beam 59. The center beam 58 is ositioned between and is adapted for relative vertical movement with respect to the vertical side frame members 25 and 26. A horizontally elongated die 61 is secured along the upper edge of the beam 59 and has an upwardly opening elongated recess 62 formed therein and extending longitudinally along the lower die 61 for receiving the die 56 therein upon downward movement of the upper beam 39.

A movable cutting blade 63 is secured along the bottom edge of the beam 59 and is cooperatively aligned with the cutting edge of the fixed cutting blade 22. The blade 63 is spaced below the beam 59 by a welded Wedge spacer 64 and reinforced by elongated vertically and horizontally extending beams, 65 and 66, respectively, maintained by means of upwardly and downwardly extending suitably spaced triangular web members 67 and 68'. The spacer 64, beams 65 and 66 and web members 67 and 68 form a rigid triangular reinforcing structure for the cutting blade 63 and the blade 63 is attached to the reinforcing structure by means of suitably spaced bolts 69.

A movable, horizontally elongated hold-down member 71 is utilized to hold the metal (not shown) to be sheared with respect to the table 15. The hold-down member 71 is composed of a horizontally elongated cross bar 72 to which horizontally spaced teeth 73 are attached, as is common in the industry. A horizontally elongated cross beam 74 is attached to the top of the cross bar 72 and extends toward the front of the machine. A vertical cross beam 75 is attached to the front edge of the beam 74 and suitably spaced triangular web members 76, maintained in spaced relation by horizontally elongated beams 78, 79 and 81, reinforce the member 71. Conventional hydraulic rams 82 and 83 (shown in FIG. 1), positioned adjacent to the side frame members 25 and 26, are utilized to raise and lower the hold-down member 71. The rams 82 and 83 are affixed to the movable member 71 at their lower ends and secured at their upper ends to cars 84 and 85 fixedly secured to the vertical side frame members 25 and 26. A conventional hydraulic pump, shown schematically at 86, is operatively connected to the hydraulic rams 82 and 83 through suitable tubing 87, 88, 89 and 91 in a conventional manner whereby pressurized hydraulic fluid may be applied for either extending or retracting the rams 82 and 83. Of course, if desired, the hydraulic rams 49, 82 and 83 may all be operated by the same hydraulic pump with the use of different valving.

The holddown member 71 is constructed so that it provides support for the center beam 58 during the time bending operations are being performed on the machine. More specifically, when the machine functions as a press brake, the member 71 rests on the table 15. As shown in FIG. 3, the rear portion of the lower edge of the beam 58 rests directly on the horizontal beam 74. The bar 72 and the teeth 73 are positioned between the beam 74 and the beams 16 and 19 and, as noted above, the beam 17 rests on and is supported by the beam 12 and webs 21. As a result of this arrangement, force applied to die 61 is transmitted through the center beam 58, the movable member 71, and the base 11 thereby creating a solid support for the die 61.

Referring to FIG. 2, vertical, mutually parallel adjustable guides and 93 are associated in a fixed relationship with the vertical side frame members 25 and 26 and the receiving portions of both the movable center beam 58 and the movable upper beam 39. Each of the guides 90 and 93 include a pair of outer fixed vertical side standards and two vertically spaced pairs of inner guide members 92, the upper pair of which guides the upper beam 39 and the lower pair of which guides the center beam 58. Adiustable guide bolts 94 verticallv s aced alon the adjustable guides 90 and 93 provide means for adjusting the guides.

As noted above, the machine includes means 110 for the facile connection and disconnection of the movable center beam 58 to the movable upper beam 39. The means 110 includes a pair of eye bolts 95 and 96 pivotally secured to ears 97 and 98 mounted on the opposite ends of the beam 59. Non-threaded generally U shaped receptacles or ears 99 and 101 are mounted on opposite ends of the upper beam 39 and are designed to receive the threaded end portions of the eye bolts 95 and 96 by pivotal lateral insertion. Threaded nuts 102 and 103 are threaded to the bolts 95 and 96 and are tightened down on the receiving receptacles 99 and 101.

OPERATION The operation of the present invention may be conveniently understood with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

In FIG. 4 the combined shear and press brake is shown in a shearing position. The movable upper beam 39 is securely fixed to the movable center beam 58 by means of the eye bolts 95 and 96 to form a composite shearing beam. The metal to be sheared (not shown) is positioned on the table 15, i.e., on the horizontal upper beam 16. The hold-down member 71 is hydraulically lowered, by the hydraulic rams '82 and 83, to securely hold the metal to be sheared. The hydraulic ram 49, operatively connected to the upper beam 39, is then actuated; the composite beams 39 and 58 travel downwardly and the cooperatively aligned movable cutting blade 63 and fixed cutting blade 22 shear the metal. The base 11 is offset to the front of the machine from the center line of the movable beams 39 and 58 to allow the movable cutting blade '63 to penetrate below the upper edge of the fixed cutting blade 22 and so that, after shearing, the scrap (not shown) can fall freely to the floor. Shortening and lengthening the adjustable strut 45 determines the rake of the lower edge of the composite beam, and therefore the rake of the cutting blade.

Referring to FIG. 3, the combined shear and press brake is shown in a bending position. The eye bolts 95 and 96 are unconnected and therefore the center beam 58 does not move vertically. The reinforcing hold-down member 71 is in a lowered position and rests directly on the table 15. The beam 59 then rests on the upper horizontal portion of the beam 74 of the hold-down member 71.

The adjustable strut 45 is adjusted so that if a normal bend is desired the movable upper beam 39 is level and thus the upper die 56 and lower die 61 are parallel. If a flare type bend is desired, the strut 45 is adjusted so that the upper beam 39 is slightly canted which results in a tight bend on one end and a loose bend on the other end of the piece of metal being bent. The metal to be bent (not shown) is positioned between the lower die 61 and the upper die 56. The hydraulic ram 49, operatively connected to the upper beam 39, is then actuated; the upper beam 39 travels downwardly and the cooperatively aligned upper die 56 and lower die 61 bend the metal.

In general, while I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is for purposes of illustration only and that various modifications can be made within the scope of my invention. For example, the machine could be constructed as an open throat machine. This would be accomplished by modifying members 25 or 26 by cutting slots therein or by building them to resemble a C clamp. If done, the machine could then be utilized to work metal which is wider than the effective length of the machine. Also, with appropriate modifications, the shearing blades 22 and 63 could be located at the top of the movable center beam 58 and the dies '56 and 6-1 could be located at the lower edge thereof. The hold-down member may also be operatively secured by hydraulic rams to the metal working table 15 instead of to the vertical side frame members 25 and 26. Likewise, of course, other means could be utilized to connect the beams 39 and 58 together.

I claim as my invention:

1. An improved combination metal shear and press brake machine comprising:

a base including a stationary beam having an upper,

horizontally disposed edge;

a vertically movable center beam positioned above the base and having upper and lower horizontally disposed edges, With the lower edge thereof being adjacent to the upper edge of said stationary beam;

a vertically movable upper beam positioned above said movable center beam and having upper and lower horizontally disposed edges with the lower edge thereof being adjacent to the upper edge of said movable center beam;

a vertical frame including means for guiding said movable center and upper beams;

means operatively connected to said movable upper beam for moving said movable upper beam vertically;

a plurality of horizontally elongated metal working surfaces, including metal deforming means, secured to two adjacent edges of said beams;

a plurality of horizontally elongated metal working surfaces, including metal shearing means, secured to two adjacent edges of said beams; and

means for selectively attaching said movable center beam to said movable upper beam so that when said movable center beam is attached to and moves vertically with said movable upper beam, metal can be worked between the metal working surfaces secured to the lower edge of said movable center beam and the edge of said stationary beam and so that when said movable center beam is not attached to said movable upper beam, metal can be worked between the metal working surfaces secured to the upper edge of said movable center beam and the lower edge of said movable upper beam.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which:

a fixed cutting blade is secured to the upper edge of said base;

a movable cutting blade is secured to the lower edge of said movable center beam;

a horizontally elongated metal bending die is secured to the upper edge of said movable center beam; and

a horizontally elongated metal bending die is secured to the lower edge of said movable upper beam.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which:

a movable hold-down member is positioned adjacent to said metal working surfaces, including metal shearing means, and is arranged so that it holds the metal to be sheared when the metal shearing means are utilized and so that it provides support for said beam to which said metal shearing means are secured when metal is being worked by said metal deforming means when metal is being bent; and

means operatively connected to said movable holddown member for moving said movable hold-down member.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which:

the means for fixedly securing said movable center beam to said movable upper beam includes:

eye bolts pivotally secured to one of said beams;

ears secured to the other of said beams and positioned to receive said eye bolts; and

fastening means to retain said bolts within said ears.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said frame comprises:

vertical side members which are laterally spaced from one another and extend upwardly from said base;

vertically extended guides associated with said vertical side members and receiving the ends of said movable upper beam and said movable center beam for guiding said beams; and

means for adjusting said vertically extended guides.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 in which:

said base is offset from the center line of said movable center beam and said movable upper beam;

means are connected to said center beam for reinforc ing said movable cutting blade, both during shearing and bending; and

means are connected to said base for reinforcing said fixed cutting blade.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 in which:

a movable hold-down member is positioned adjacent to the lower edge of said movable center beam and to the edge of said stationary beam and is arranged so that it holds metal in position to be sheared against the base when metal is being sheared by said cutting blades and so that it provides a support for said center beam when metal is being deformed by said dies; and

means are operatively connected to said movable holddown member for moving said movable hold-down member vertically.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which:

vertical side members are laterally spaced, and extend upwardly from said base;

horizontal cross beams are fixedly secured to said vertical side members and are laterally spaced above said frame;

said movable upper beam extends between said vertical frame members;

means are operatively connected to said horizontal cross beams and to said movable upper beam for moving said upper movable beam upwardly and downwardly;

said movable center beam extends between said vertical side frame members;

said movable center beam has an upwardly opening elongated recess formed therein extending longitudinally along said lower die for receiving said upper die therein upon downward movement of said movable upper beam;

vertically extended guides are associated with said vertical side frame members and the receiving ends of said movable upper beam and said movable center beam for guiding said beams;

means are provided for adjusting said vertically extended guides;

means are connected to said center beam for reinforcing said movable cutting blade; and

means are connected to said base for reinforcing said fixed cutting blade.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 580,986 4/1897 Middaugh 2956O 942,680 12/1909 Takacs 29-560 3,452,632 7/1969 Brolund 83701 X 2,761,378 9/1956 Lancaster.

ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner 30 Z. R. BILINSKY, Assistant Examiner US Cl. X.R. 

